Six and a half weeks
by mamagrimes
Summary: One shot to fill in what happened between the night of the Herd and the night Rick brought home mints for Michonne. Enjoy!


**Six and a half weeks**

Michonne's heart raced as Rick lowered her onto the couch, his mouth greedily sipping at hers. _Was this really happening_? she asked herself as she threaded her fingers through his curly hair and felt his hard length pressed up against her core.

Rick couldn't get enough. His hands gripped Michonne's hips as he ground into her and explored her mouth with his tongue. He couldn't get close enough and was frustrated by their layers of clothing. Michonne's soft moan sent him over the edge and he reared up with a growl...

 _ **Six and a half weeks earlier...**_

"It took me awhile to remember what it was because I haven't felt it since before I woke up in that hospital bed. I want to show you the new world Carl. I want to make it a reality for _you._ Please Carl, let me show you. Please, son, don't die."

Michonne swiped at the tears running down her face with one hand as she held Judith close with the other. Standing outside of Carl's room in the infirmary, she could hear the words Rick whispered through his own tears. She wanted so badly to go in there and console him but knew he needed this time with his son. Closing her eyes, she kissed Judith on her forehead, taking comfort in the feeling of the baby's heartbeat against her own.

Hearing Rick's wishes for the future gave her hope that maybe, just maybe, they could move beyond this tragedy together. _Maybe_...Michonne's musings were interrupted by Rick shouting out for Denise. She opened her eyes to see him hovering over Carl, a watery smile on his face. As Denise rushed past her, Michonne stepped into the room to see Carl open his eye slowly and was relieved to see his hand gripping Rick's. _Their boy was going to make it. Thank God._

An hour later, Michonne found herself sitting at Carl's bedside, her hand resting gently on his arm and her eyes on his face. His face that was now heavily bandaged after his eye was destroyed by a stray bullet. A bullet shot by the teenager she killed...

"Hey."

Michonne looked up to see a now showered Rick looking down at her, a tired smile on his face. After Carl had regained consciousness, he was scared and in pain so Carol took Judith home, allowing Michonne to help Rick calm him down and comfort him. Without discussing it, they shared the burden of caring for Carl and making sure he knew he wasn't alone. Having each of them on either side of his bed seemed to reassure him and he was able to fall asleep. It was at that point that Michonne told Rick to take a shower and change and her tone brooked no argument. He nodded once and left.

Now he was back and she was relieved to see that he was still clear eyed and _present_. This was a Rick she hadn't seen much since they arrived in Alexandria and was grateful that it seemed to be the one who was here to stay.

"Hey back. Feel better after your shower?"

"Much better. Thanks for kicking me out. I needed it." Rick pulled up a chair next to Michonne and rested his forearms on Carl's bed, eyes intent on his son's face.

"He's been sleeping soundly since you left. It's the best thing for him right now. Sleep and rest."

Rick nodded, rubbing his hand over his face, "Yeah, I know it is. We'll make sure he does whatever he has to get better."

 _We'll._ Michonne knew that she was included in that statement and it filled her heart that she would be a part of Carl's recovery, that Rick included her without even thinking.

Michonne was startled out of her thoughts by a gentle tap on the top of her hand. She looked up to see that Rick was once again standing and silently gestured for her to leave the room with him. Curious, she followed Rick into the seating area right outside of Carl's room, taking a seat next to Rick.

Rick looked down at his hands, not sure how to form his next words. His emotions were all over the place but he knew they needed to have this conversation. It was _important_. It all needed to be said so they could move on. Looking up, he saw Michonne's patient expression and was so grateful to have a friend who understood him so well. She knew when words were needed and when silence was welcome.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you."

Michonne reared back a bit, surprise lighting her eyes, "For what?"

"For everything you did...out there...Helping me with the herd. I was..." Another deep breath. "I was out of control and not thinking. I just needed to kill. I couldn't help Denise but I could go out there and just kill and kill. I was out of my mind and..."

Michonne gently laid her hand on his to quiet him, "Hey...it's what we do Rick. You would have done the same thing for me and you know it."

Rick gazed into her eyes and felt calm wash through him. She always had that effect on him and he regretted not having this conversation weeks ago while he was struggling. "You're right. I would've. But I need to thank you just the same. And Heath and Aaron...Spencer...they came out and fought without any thought to their own safety. And then everyone else. _It was everything._ Seeing people come together like that. And it all started with _you_."

Michonne smiled, "I heard what you said to Carl about the new world. This is _it_ , Rick. This is what Deanna was talking about. Community. We're all in this together. No one can make it alone in the world anymore. But having a community? Family? _That's_ how we go on. That's how we survive and _live_."

Rick felt his heart ache as emotions bubbled up within him at her words. Michonne understood. She always did. He knew he could show the new world to Carl because she would be by his side helping to show him the way. Helping to show them both. For the first time since he met her, he was finally starting to feel like he was catching up.

 _Finally._

First things first though. Looking back down at his hands, he considered his next words carefully. "There's more, Michonne. I need to thank you for...what you did...what you had to do..."

Michonne briefly closed her eyes at the memory of the night's horror. "You mean killing Ron?" Rick looked up at her and nodded, pain filling his eyes.

"I'm so sorry you had to do that. I can't express how sorry I am..."

"Rick, he was going to kill you. I knew it when I saw how steady his arm was. I hate what I had to do but I would do it again if I needed to."

Rick sat up and pushed his hand through his hair, frustration evident in the motion, "That's just it. You shouldn't have _had_ to. Everything that happened in that herd is _on me_ ," Rick shook his head when he saw Michonne about to interrupt. "Please let me finish." Now Rick stood up, determined to get everything out but needing distance from Michonne to do so.

"I wasn't ready to be here, Michonne. In Alexandria. I thought I was but I still had...stuff...to deal with. Being here, behind walls, in a neighborhood just like ones Lori and I used to drive though...it was too much. All the losses we had suffered because of me..."

"Rick..."

"No. Please let me get this out. All the losses...Hershel, Beth, Tyreese...Lori..." Another deep breath as memories took over. "They were all under my watch. I know now that I'm not directly to blame but when we first got here? I wasn't _here_. I wanted to just...escape...not think. I'm pretty certain I lost my mind for awhile. So I did stupid, incredibly stupid, things and they all added up to Jessie dying and Ron wanting to kill me. That is _on me_ and I will never _ever_ forget what you had to do as a result. _Never_."

Michonne felt her eyes well up but willed herself not to cry. Tears wouldn't help her friend right now. She had to be strong for both of them. Standing up, she walked over to where he stood, not stopping until she was mere inches away. Lightly touching his arm, she waited until his eyes were on hers before continuing.

"Rick, let me make a few things clear. We're _family_. And family looks out for one another. I knew you weren't ready and I _still_ pushed for this place. And when we got here, I had my own struggles so I didn't see yours. It was something we both had to get through somehow. Do I wish it were different and Carl didn't lose his eye? Absolutely. But it's _not_. All of the things that happened these past few weeks have brought us to this moment. And since we can't change the past, no matter how much we want to, let's focus on the future. _That's_ what we can control. _That's_ what we can plan for." Michonne smiled as Rick heaved a deep sigh, allowing his burdens to lessen.

"Now...tell me about this New World. I can't wait to hear all about it."

 _ **Two weeks later...**_

Michonne forced her hands behind her back to prevent herself from reaching out to help support Carl as made his way up the sidewalk toward their house and, looking over to a hovering Rick on Carl's other side, she knew he was struggling to do the same thing. But they needed to give Carl his space. He was a teenager and wanted to be independent. He made that clear every day as he recovered in the infirmary. He didn't want to be a burden. He wanted to recover and fight again. Each day he grew stronger and Michonne spent hours at the infirmary, keeping him company, sharing meals with him, trying to make him laugh while Rick led the efforts to clean up the town and rebuild its walls.

Just like most things in their friendship, Michonne's role as Carl's caretaker was understood with no discussion needed. Rick knew that there was nothing he could do to drag her from his son's side and he knew that her bond with Carl was just as strong as his own with her. Michonne insisted early on learning how to change Carl's bandages and clean his wound and Rick wasn't surprised that Carl supported the idea. It should have bothered him, his position as Carl's caretaker being usurped like that, but after seeing Carl's relief every time Michonne entered the room, he felt nothing but love for them both.

As he escorted his son into their home, he wondered just when Michonne had become a part of his immediate family. After only knowing her a week, Carl had declared her 'one of us' and he remembered how impatient they both were while waiting for her to return from her trips while at the prison. It was amazing how close you could grow to another person in only a year.

The house was quiet as they entered and Rick was grateful that they had it to themselves. Over the past couple of weeks, Carol and Daryl had moved out, finding a house of their own right across the street and Morgan moved into the rectory with Father Gabriel, everyone seeming to realize that Rick and his family needed their own space.

Looking over at Michonne and Carl, he smiled as he watched her squeeze his son's arm with her face lit up with own her smile. "Welcome home, Carl."

Rick's smile widened as his heart fell full. Home. They were _home_.

 ** _Four and a half weeks later..._**

As Rick cut a new notch in his belt, he enjoyed the music coming out of the CD player in his room. Today was going to be a good day. He and Daryl were going on a run to find food and medicine and he felt confident that they would find the much needed supplies for his town.

 _His town._

In the past month, they had not only cleared the town of the herd remains, but they had rebuilt the walls and put in walker defenses on the other side. They had come together, _all of them_ and accomplished so much in such a short time. He was proud of every single resident as they all filled their roles and got their jobs done. He knew now that the whole was better than the part and was happy to share the burdens that he had shouldered for so long.

Glancing out the window at the blue sky, Rick felt a sense of peace steal over at him, warmth and a lightness that he didn't remember ever feeling. Looking down at the dish with his watch and wedding ring, Rick allowed his hand to hover for a moment before picking up the watch and leaving his ring behind.

Putting his gun belt on, Rick smiled down at Judith while she played on the floor in his bedroom. She was getting so big and he and Michonne were placing bets with each other which day this week she was going to walk.

"Do you have any toothpaste left?"

Rick looked up from fastening his belt to see Michonne in her bathrobe, a towel on her head, obviously fresh from her shower. Her robe left nothing to the imagination, something he had noticed weeks ago when she started to let down her guard and be more comfortable around him and the kids. He kept his thoughts to himself though. No need to make her nervous by staring too long.

"No 'cause someone's been borrowing it every day for two weeks."

Their conversation was interrupted by the constant thumping of a tennis ball being bounced against a bedroom wall. Carl's bedroom.

Michonne smiled and shouted "Carl!"

"What? Denise says it's PT," from the bedroom.

"I can't hear you. Come on out." replied Rick while he and Michonne shared another smile, silently acknowledging the challenges of raising a teenager.

Carl approached the doorway to Rick's bedroom.

"What? Denise says it's PT." Carl softly laughed when his father matched his words exactly.

"You heard me."

"Yeah."

Michonne took a look at Carl, "It's time to change your bandage. And I need to borrow some toothpaste."

"Okay but I'm out of toothpaste." Carl tossed the ball to Rick as he said his goodbye to him and left.

"I'll see you later." Rick called after Carl and then shared another smile with Michonne, his heart beating faster for some reason.

Rick picked up Judith, needing to leave "Come on sweetheart."

"You be good out there." Words of encouragement Michonne always told him before he left on a run.

"Yeah, we'll see. And..." Rick gave Michonne a low five, "Thank you."

As Rick turned to head downstairs, he smiled at Michonne's last request, "Oh….Spearmint and baking soda. That's my favorite."

"Soon as I get it, you will."

 _ **Present time...**_

Rick's growl forced Michonne to open her eyes and she stared into his beautiful face, loving the passion that filled his eyes.

It was all for her and she couldn't stop the soft smile from curving her lips.

Rick raised himself up on his arms, looking down at Michonne's gorgeous body below him. He had to have her...and soon...or he would combust. His run with Daryl had turned into a crazy day but he was able to bring home mints for Michonne and had let that thought consume him for the whole ride home. He wanted to make her happy. He knew that his happiness was entirely dependent on hers.

What he didn't know was that a simple playful hand hold was all it took to light the match to their passion that apparently had been buried deep for both of them.

Now, as he gazed down at her beautiful face and zeroed in on her lips that had curved into a smile, he felt a grin stretch across his face.

He was going to make love to this woman and it was going to be the first of many, many times.

Standing up, Rick held his hand out to Michonne, his eyes never leaving hers. When Michonne placed her hand in his, Rick pulled her up, cupped her face and kissed her again, his lips hungry to be back where they belonged.

Still kissing her, Rick slowly inched to the stairs, smiling as he heard Michonne's soft laugh escape through her open lips. He wanted to laugh too, at the joy of having his woman in his arms, but his lips had a mind of their own.

At the base of the stairs, they stopped and looked at each other, once again communicating without words, just smiles. With a nod to each other, they softly ran up the stairs, hand in hand, soft laughs escaping both of them as they felt like teenagers sneaking around.

Running into Rick's room, Michonne quietly shut the door behind her, only to find herself pulled up against Rick's broad chest, her mouth consumed by his once again. Rick drew them both towards his bed, his hands pulling Michonne's shirt over her head with sure hands as she tore the snaps open on his button down shirt. Looking down at her breasts with wonder, Rick drew a finger over the swells above her bra, amazed that his gorgeous woman was going to be his.

 _At last._

Michonne trembled as she unbuckled Rick's belt and unsnapped his jeans. She was consumed with need and wasn't sure how much longer she would last. Rick must have had the same thought because in the next moment, she felt herself lifted and tossed onto his bed, his hands grabbing at her pants with urgency. With no words spoken, they continued to undress one another until, at last, their skin touched the other's.

Rick knew he should have been nervous as it had been so long since he'd been with anyone but, looking down at Michonne's face, he had never felt so right in what he was doing. Smiling down at her, he cupped her breast in his hand and listened to the intake of breath that told him he was doing everything right. Slowly moving his hand down her taut stomach, it came to rest where she was moist and warm. So very warm. Filling her with his finger, he knew she was ready for him and also knew he couldn't wait much longer.

Caressing the inside of her mouth with his tongue, Rick rose up above Michonne and positioned himself at her entrance. Before entering her, he rested his forehead against hers, stared into her beautiful brown eyes and said, "You ready?"

Michonne felt the tears fill her eyes as her friend, about to become her lover, took such care of her. She was loved. She was loved and she knew that this was only the beginning.

" _Ready_."

 _ **I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Join me at tellittothedead for more Richonne goodness!**_


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